Tire cord demonstration device



Oct. 8, 1940. M, RucH 2,217,080

TIRE CORD DEMONSTRATIONDEVICE Filed May 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTOR BYWM A TTORNE Y Oct. 8, 1940. H. M. RUCH TIRE CORD DEMONSTRATION DEVICE Filed May 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A T TORNE Y Oct. 8, 1940. H. M. RUCH 2,217,039

TIRE CORD DEMONSTRATION I DEVICE Filed May 9, 193's 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 fizra/a 4 2m,

11v VENTOR {9 F. 8 B Y W g I A TTORNE Y Get. 8, 1940. M- RUCH 2,217,080

TIRE CORD DEMONSTRATION DEVICE Filed May 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 SAFETY ZONE CAUTION ZONE DANGER ZONE GQEEN LlGHT AMBER. LIGHT RED LIGHT fle/v/a M 191/05 TIRE MILEAGE m THOUSANDS [NVbNTO/e A TTORNE Y Oct. 8, 194 0. RUCH 2,217,080

TIRE CORD DEMONSTRATION DEVICE Filed May 9, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 UVVENTOR.

Y .4 TTOR/VEY Patented a. a, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a demonstration device adapted to determine the tensile strength of cords used in a cord tire of the pneumatic type, including fabric cord, synthetic cord, or any tire cord used to make up the body or carcass of a pneumatic tire. Tire manufacturers often select an arbitrary figure for the tensile strength of a cord to be used in a pneumatic cord type tirel This figure is placed at 17 for any cord, which means that the cord under tenslon will break When there is a greater tensile pull than 17 pounds upon the cord.

The present invention includes among its objects a device which may compare a new cord of known characteristics with a cord taken from an old tire or a tire, which has been run a definite number of miles. In this manner, it is possible to readily demonstrate by visual means to the tire user or the person the fatigue point of the used cord with respect to the new cord. A demonstration of tensile strength is very important because it has been found that the ability of the tire cord to resist road shock and bruising is in direct proportion to the tensile strength of the cord. Tire manufacturers, as a rule, know the effect of loss of tensile strength in a cord and for that reason, among others, often offer a trade-in value for the used tires so that the urn safe miles of any tire are supplanted with safe mileage through the purchase of new tires. Therefore, it is an object or the present invention to actually educate the tire user to the great advantage of checking his tires after a certain mileage. To do this all that need be done is to remove the tire from the wheel, properly dehate the same so that one of the cords from the inside surface of the tire may be removed. This does not affect the the in the least. With this cord, a proper demonstration can be put on and the customer may for himself readily see the strength of the cord so removed.

As previously stated, the generally accepted value so far as tensile strength of a co d. is concerned in all new cord tires after curing is 1? pounds. In the high pressure type. oi tire, the main object of the tire cord was to maintain the air. However, as speed of driving increased and greater riding case was demanded, the balloon tire madeits appearance and provided a low air pressure type of tire with large cross-sectional diameter. This construction required greater flexibility of a the cord. The balloon tire offered dificulty to manufacturers from many points, such as proper balancing of the tire, the flexingot the cord, and the question of tire cord fatigue. It is a known fact that pneumatic tires of large cross-sectional diameter,

after being in service for a while actually increase in cross-sectional diameter. This is due to the fact that the tensile strength of the cord diminishes, resulting in a weaker tire and one not likely to stand up over any length of time when subjected to high speed driving, resulting in rapid flexibility together with the usual shocks incident to tires due to rough roads and bruises of various kinds. Within the inventors experience, in the design and construction of tires covering a period of over fifteen (15) years, he has found that the average tensile strength of a cord tire diminishes after some 5,000 miles of driving, to a tensile strength of i5 pounds, and after 10,090 miles, the tensile stren th has dropped to 12.

Another object of the invention is to provide a demonstration board which will show visually to the on-lcoker the exact condition of a cord in an old tire, will show the sheet of rapid tensioning of cords in a pneumatic tire at various road speeds, and will further include novel means indicated by colored signals when the cord begins to diminish in tensile strength.

Further objects include various devices for carrying out the invention which are simple of construction, low in cost of manufacture, work accurately, give a convincing demonstration of a fatigue test, and which is compact, attractive in appearance, and creates a scientific interest in the problem presented.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in certain embodiments in the accompanying drawings, described generally,

and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

in the drawings? Figure l. is an elevation of my improved tire cord demonstration device shown as err tirety.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device shown Eli with segreg te "fragmentary sectional view 2 a graph diagram showing fatigue rd after use over a given period of Referring now with particularity to the drawlogs, the invention contemplates the use of a isplay board together with a supporting table, is display board having visual signals thereon and may Likewise have charts secured thereto. By way of e:-zample, 1 may be the display board, a table including the usual table top supported by legs '3, a leg 5 r each come: of On this display board, I have arranged certa I; members, such as dynamometer adapted to shov. .21 pounds pull upon a cord 6 under test. also, there is included a series of colored lenses or incandescent bulbs within proper fitti shown at T, 3, and These lenses may rent colors, as indicated sucn as red for T, amber or yellow for C, and green '20:" Thus, before the eye of the observer, we have a dynamometer and the different colored lights, and the dynamometer has its dial it graduated to indicate pounds, such as '5, 10, et as shown for the graduations at El, togethel zones bearing such indieia as ll-anger Caution l3, cv-

Beneath t 2 table top, I have provided mechanism where the various devices depicted upon the display 5 and upon the table may be placed in operation. Referring to the figur I have shown an electric motor it, the casing of which is provided with a part at, ordinarily called the base, which permits the motor to be attached to the under surface-of the top in any suitable manner, such as indicated at Within a suitable gear housing 22 is encased a gear upon the motor shaft which is adapted to mesh with a worm on the shaft This casing is provided 8 with the usual bearings whereby the shaft 23 may readily be supported.

The shaft Ethos secured thereto a beveled gear 25, which gear is adapted to mesh with the teeth of a bevel gear secured to a shaft 35. This shaft is substantially in right angular relation ship to the shafts23 and ill, and the said shaft is suitably carried by journal brackets 32 and 33, the brackets being secured in any suitable manner to the bottom surface or" the top 3. One end of said shaft carries a grooved wheel 34. '-.'ne sh t Si is provided with a longitudinally e7:- tended groove Carried upon the shaft 33 is one member 36 of a dog clutch, which member ls keyed by suitable means 32" to the shaft through the medium of a pin or the like 33 received within thegroove 3E. l'he keying aforesaid constitutes a simple splined connection. The other element of the dog clutch includes a worm 4c, this worm and dog clutch being adapted to rotate freely upon the shaft 35 when p with a yoke or fork having studs 46 received within an annular grooved collar 4! secured to the dog clutch member 36. The opposite end of the stud shaft has secured thereto a lever 48. It will be seen on viewing Figure 2 that the lever extends both below the bottom surface and above the upper surface of the top, and to this end, the top is provided with a transverse bore or opening 48, whereby the lever may be readily moved by engaging the lever above the top surface of the top. A short bracket 50 is positioned in line with the stud shaft and the lever 48 is provided with an outstanding pin SI and between said pin and the bracket is a coil spring 52. The positioning is such that there is a toggle movement between the spring and the lever so that when the lever swung in either one of two positions, it is held in the selected position by the spring.

A journal secured to the bottom surf-ace of the top carries a pinion 54, the teeth of which mesh wit the teeth I the worm 48 (see Figure G2 the same sha t that carries the pinion a grooved wheel it will noted that 1e top is provided with a through bore in the p ane of the g ooved wheel at Secured to the t 5 surface at is a pedestal IT, this pedestal being provided with a bearing portion carrying shaft I8, one end of which shaft has secured thereto a spool l3, and the opposite end has tast e. thereto a grooved wheel 8t. This grooved wheel lies in the plane of the grooved wheel 55. A continuous belt Si is adapted to passed rough the bore 58 and around the grooved reels and BL.

dynamometer previously stated, is mounted upon the display board i. This dynamcmeter is illustrated as to internal construction in Figures and 6, wherein it will be that it is of the spring-actuated type. Referring to these two figures, I have provided a casing 82 having an interrupted flange 83, which flange is adapted to be fastened to the display board by any suitable means 84. The front wall of the casing 85 is adapted to carry the indicia shown in Figure l, at I0 to 14, inclusive. Rearward of the front wall of the casing 85 is a framework 88 adapted to carry certain mechanism of the dynamometer, to wit, coil springs 81 and 8t, both provided with a hook end as shown at 89 the shanks of members SI and 92, the shanks having heads at 93 and '94. The shanks are passed through elongated slots contained in web portions 95 and 9B, the'heads 93' and 94 resting on the top of their respective web portions. The opposite ends of the coil springs 8'. and 83 are secured to a cross bar 97 and in the manner illustrated at 98 and 99. Secured to the member 86 is a U-bracket I00 which in turn has secured thereto a Z bracket I0l. The brackets I00 and I M are adapted to support a shaft I02 passed therethrough, upon which shaft is mounted between legs of the brackets, a pinion I03. A rack IOE has the teeth thereof in engagement with the pinion I03. A llnl; I05, provided with a bifurcated end I06, is adapted to have received. between the bifurcations a. portion of the rack I04, as see Figure 6, and the said rack, link, and cross bar 9? are all pinned together as shown Carried on the shaft I02 and forward of the bracket I0! is a sleeve I08. This sleeve has fastened thereto an insulation member I08. This nsulation membc carries an arm H0, the head of which is recessed at I I I to receive a coil spring H2 and a movable brush H3. The spring normally urges the brush outwardly of the recess in the well understood manner.

An annular insulation ring H4 is secured to the member 86, as illustrated at H5, and said ring is provided with segmental contacts H6, II 1, and II 8. The brush H3 is adapted to sweep the different contacts when the sleeve I08 is rotated.

Mounted upon the sleeve I08 and forwardly of the top 85 is a pointer H9. Secured to the squared end of the shaft I02 so as to turn with said shaft is a member I20, and to the member I20 is secured an arm I2I provided with a T-end I22 formed with an elongated slot 123. The arm is secured to the pointer by means of a screw I24 received in a tapped opening in the pointer with the shank of the screw passed through the slot I23. In this manner, the arm may be locked to the pointer so that rotation of the shaft I02 will likewise produce rotation of the pointer. A cap I25, provided with a glass front I26, is adapted to cover the pointer and the dial, the dial being the surface carrying the indicia on the front wall 85.

It is obvious that if the link I was given a downward pull that the springs would be tensioned, and a sudden release of the link might cause damage to the dynamometer. To overcome any danger in this regard, I have provided the means shown at I21. This means includes a cylinder I28 within which is a piston I29 and a connecting rod I30 passed through the end cap I3I of the cylinder, the said rod having a flattened end I32 adapted to be secured to a lever I33 through the medium of a screw or the like I34. The opposite end of the cylinder is provided with a bracket I35, swingingly pinned at I36 to a bracket I31, the latter bracket being fastened to the rear surface of the display board, as illustrated at I 38 in Figure 7.. A valve I39 is arranged in the head of the cylinder, the valve including a screw, the shank I40 of which is longitudinally slotted at I4I, with the threads of the shank in engagement with a nut I42 in said head. A coil spring I43 surrounds the shank and is interposed between the said nut I42 and the head I 44 of the screw. Adjustment of this screw regulates the degree of opening of the slot to regulate the escape of air forward of the piston, in the well understood manner.

The lever I33 is passed through a slot in the display board and pivotally secured to said display board by means of a bracket l45. That end of the bracket forward of the front face of the display board is secured by means I46 to the link I05. This means I 46 likewise has secured thereto a block I41 carrying a hook I48. The cord 6 shown in Figure 1 is adapted to be fastened to the hook and secured to the spool 19, as illustrated in said figure.

Figure 8 shows the wiring diagram, and it is to be observed that the motor l9 connects with a source of current supply, wires leading to which are shown at M9. This motor is in circuit with a rheostat I50, the rheostat constituting an element of the speed selector I8. The slide arm iiii of the speed selector is adapted. to play over the resistance of the rheostat in the well, understood manner and connects with the source of current supply through one of the wires M9. The brush or armature of the dynamometer has a lead 552 between it and the source of current supply and various leads 553, M4 and I55 connect with the segments H6, H1, and H8, and to the bulbs illustrated at I, 8 and 9, with a common lead between the bulbs and the source of current supply, as shown at I56.

The speed selector is shown in plan in Figure 3 and the speed selector carries a segmental plate I51 having certain indicia indicative of miles per hour. A pointer I58 is adapted to play over this indicia to indicate any selected speed for the motor I9.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described are as follows:

We may assume that the cord 6 is rove about the spool 19, with one end of said cord secured to the hook I48. In this position, the pointer of the dynamometer reads Zero, as illustrated in Figure 1. When the handle of the speed indicator is turned, it will move the brush .I5I over the coils from an off position to an on position, current from the source of current supply is fed to the motor, the motor in turn will rotate its shaft and the reduction gear which, in turn, drives the shaft 23, and this shaft through the bevel gears 29 and 30 will rotate the shaft 3|, to drive belt 8I through grooved Wheel 55 to in turn rotate spool 19. The parts will be in motion when the lever 48 is moved 'to the right, viewing Figure 2, to cause co-engagement between the two members of the dog clutch. When the dog" clutch members co-engage by moving the lever 48 to the right, the spool 19 will start a slow rotation and a steady tension will be imposed upon the cord 6 and this cord will be drawn downwardly together with the hook I48 to cause rotation of the pointer H9 of the dynamometer. This pointer has previously been calibrated through the medium of the adjusting screw I24 so that when the dynamometer does not have any tension imposed upon the springs, the pointer will be at zero reading. As the spool 19 begins to rotate, the pointerwill be moved over the graduations shown at II to indicate the pounds pull upon the cord 6. Obviously, a pull upon the cord 6 will tend to tension the springs 81 and 88,.move the rack I04, and cause rotation of the commutator over the segments H6, and perhaps H1 and H8. A new cord should permit play of the pointer in the safe zone I4, and permit the green light to burn, as see the wiring diagram of Figure 8. If

the cord is weak, it may break when the dynamometer pointer is in the zone I3, marked Caution, at which time a yellow or amber light appears at 8.

If the cord 6 shouldsuddenly break, the pneumatic retard I21 will operate so as to prevent rapid return of the coil springs from an extended position to the normal position illustrated in Figure 5.

In Figure 9, I have roughly illustrated by means of a chart a safety, caution and danger zone with the ordinates in tensile strength of cord in pounds and in the abscissa the entire mileage in thousands. The results show that in a. normal cord having a tensile strength of 17 to begin with, that the decrease in tensile strength in tire mileage is almost a straight line, although at tire mileage of 15,006 the line slopes less than the general slope for the first 15,000 miles. This chart has assumed that the tire has not been subjected to rough treatment but rather that the tire has actually been subjected to such wear as might occur when driven over pavement.

This apparatus may be made in various sizes and, in fact, may be made of such a size as to be readily portable. It may be set up where it may be readily viewed and an actual test given a cord from a used tire for the benefit of any one interested. As before pointed out in the introductory portion of the specification, a cord may be removed from a tire and fastened to the hook I48 and secured to the spool 18. The dynamometer will indicate the pounds pull on the cord prior to breakage. This pull may be comparatively rapid or slow, dependent upon the motor speed. For instance, if the motor speed is indicated at 50 miles per hour and the cord 6 should break when the dynamometer pointer indicates caution, it is indicative that perhaps a disastrous blow-out of the tire might occur, resulting in accident.

With this device, the vehicle owner may drive into a tire service station, the tires may be removed from the car of the vehicle owner, a cord taken from each tire, and an actual test run upon the cords to determine the breaking point. This will indicate to the tire buyer, irrespective of the character of the tread, the condition of the tires and whether they are safe or not, and at what speed the car may be driven safely. In other words, if the motor is driven at a very rapid rate, say 50 miles per hour, before indicated, the cord 6 will be placed in tension at a more rapid speed and the likelihood of an early breakage of the cords at said speed readily ascertained.

I claim:

1. A demonstration device for determining the tensile strength of a cord of a pneumatic cord tire, including a dynamometer having a face graduated into a safety, caution and danger zones, a pointer, means for rotating said pointer for play over said zones and a cord under test being adapted for engagement with said means; a spool for engagement with said cord and about which said cord is to be .wound to place said cord in tension, and a motor for turning said spool to progressively increase the tension on the cord until breakage thereof occurs.

2. A demonstration device for determining the tensile strength of a cord of a pneumatic cord tire, including a dynamometer having a face graduated into a safety, caution and danger zones, a pointer, means for rotating said pointer for play over said zones and a cord under test being adapted for engagement with said means; a spool for engagement with said cord and about which said cord is to be wound to place said cord in tension, a motor for turning said spool to progressively increase the tension on the cord until breakage thereof occurs, a series of differently colored lights, electrical connections between the dynamometer and said lights, and a means controlled by movement of said pointer to in turn control current flow through said electrical connections to said lights in accordance with the position of said pointer.

3. A demonstration device for determining the tensile strength of a cord of a pneumatic cord tire, including a dynamometer having a face graduated into a safety, caution and danger zones, a pointer, means for rotating said pointer for play over said zones and a cord under test being adapted for engagement with said means; a spool for engagement with said cord and about which said cord is to be wound to place said cord in tension, a motor, and clutch means between the spool and motor whereby the motor may be released from the spool if the cord under test breaks.

4. A demonstration device for determining the tensile strength of a cord of a pneumatic cord tire, including a dynamometer having a face graduated into a safety, caution and danger zones, a pointer, means for rotating said pointer for play over said zones and a cord under test being adapted for engagement with said means; a spool for engagement with said cord and about which said cord is to be wound to place said cord in tension, and retard means for the means for rotating the dynamometer pointer, whereby if the cord under tension breaks, the dynamometer pointer slowly returns to a selected position relative to the graduated face.

HERALD M. RUCH. 

